The Nose has been taking our Youth Group throuh a review of the traditional Bible Stories with a view to the theological impact of them. We've just completed a month of looking at the effect of sin on Adam and Eve as well as all of humanity. While we spent a while looking at the effects, I started wondering if all the effects could be summed up with isolation. Sin separates us from fellowship with God and with each other. Adam and Eve's first response was to realize their nakedness, so they clothed themselves and in effect, hid themselves from each other. Then they hid themselves from God.
How often do I respond in the same way by isolating myself from those who love and care for me? But thankfully, God does not hide from me no matter how hard I may try to hide from Him.
Comments
Another Thought
Even though it's bad form, I needed to add a thought to the above. I was thinking about God's response after He created Adam, "It is not good for man to be alone." I remember our pastor teaching that the Perfect God of the universe created man with the design that relationship with God alone was not enough. What if this design feature is a key element ruptured by the Fall?
We know how man degrades when deprived of social interaction. We know how sin separates us from God. We know how sin separates us from each other. Continuing to ponder...
Fascinating
Quite interesting indeed. Because it would seem that relationship with the triune God would be enough.
Amen
And how much that koinonia is needed. Satan really wants to keep us away from fellow believers who can encourage us.
Thanks for sharing this.
Separation of sin
Yes , great comments.
In James ( refering to Scripture, my brother) it is sin that
causes difficulty. It is so hard to quote just a portion because it
is all so relavant. ((oh I love Gods word) James 3:17-4:4...themes
thinking about oposing eachother.; wisdom from above/earthlywisdom
righteousness and Peace/selfish desires and quarrels conflicts.
friend of world/enemy of God
"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle
reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwaivering and without
hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in
peace by those who make peace. 4 . What is the source of quarrels
and conflicts among you? Is not the scource your pleasures
that wage war in your members? You lust and you do not have so you
commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain so you fight
and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.
You ask and do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that
you may spend it on your pleasures.
You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world
is hostility toward God? therefore whoever wishes to be a friend
of the world makes himself an enemy of God. "
The answer is humble repentance in vers 6 He says, "God is opposed
to the proud but gives grace to the humble .."